We all do foolish things as children. A crucial part of growing up as a child is knowing when to say ‘no’ to dangerous things.
Unfortunately, children are highly susceptible to peer pressure. Even the most intelligent children and teenagers can be persuaded/forced to participate in dangerous stunts that can have serious consequences.
Just ask the parents of 11-year-old Tyler Broome, for example. He sustained extremely severe injuries after attempting a new YouTube craze called “The Roundabout of Death”.
The 11-year-old sustained injuries comparable to those of fighter pilots when he was subjected to extreme gravitational force (G-force).
The madness he participated in – better known as the ‘Roundabout of Death’ – involves participants sitting in the center of a merry-go-round in a playground while being spun at full speed using the rear wheel of a motorcycle.
Shortly afterwards, Tyler was found unconscious near the merry-go-round, having suffered permanent brain and vision damage.
Extreme force
It is believed that he was subjected to the G-force normally experienced only by pilots or astronauts.
According to reports, this caused blood and fluid to flow to his brain, resulting in severe damage to his vision and causing his eyes to bulge, as can be seen in the photo below.
The shocking images of Tyler on the merry-go-round are circulating worldwide on the internet. At one point in the video, it appears as though Tyler loses consciousness, but the teenagers around him seem unaware and continue to spin him with the motorcycle.
Tyler was at a park with a friend when they were approached by a group of older boys who challenged him to this ‘game’.
“I don’t recognize my child. He was almost having a stroke. Tyler was on the merry-go-round and the boy who lured him in was about 17. Tyler doesn’t know him, they’re not friends,” said his mother Dawn to the British newspaper The Independent.
“He made the merry-go-round spin extremely fast with the help of his motorcycle. When they all stopped, the group just left. Pure bullying.”
Dawn claims that hospital staff had never seen such injuries and had to conduct research before they could treat her son.
“The injuries were so extreme that he looked like the ‘Elephant Man‘. They hadn’t seen anything like it. They will file a special medical report.
His head is completely swollen, his blood vessels have burst, his eyes look like those of an alien. His face is blurry. You can recover from a broken arm, but this? He doesn’t even remember it, not even any details.”
A police spokesperson confirmed that Tyler is stable but in very serious condition in the hospital.
Dear parents, you must know that your children are very easily influenced by things that adults know to be very dangerous.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to young Tyler and his family. Please share this story to spread awareness of this cruel ‘game’
